What Would Luna Do?
by The Dark Waltz
Summary: Greta Evans was related to Lily Evans-Potter. Harry finds out about his cousin's situation and is determined to keep her safe. & Luna offers to help. Brahms takes an interest to Luna.
1. Twirling Daisy

The new nanny laughed at me.

She looked into my eyes and chuckled.

I'm about to signal to my parents that I do not wish her to stay when I see something outside the window that makes me stop.

"Who is that outside?" His father inquiries on my behalf.

I move from my spot behind the mirror and instead head up to the attic where I can see better.

She looks like a daisy twirling in the wind. Even from up above her laughter drifts on up. As if sensing I'm there she turns toward the window and does a majestic curtsy.

"Luna!"

The girl's head tilts to the side to view her acquaintance running towards her.

"What do you think you are doing on our grounds, young lady?"

A growl from deep within me comes unbidden; her expression, her face, I can't see her face.

I can't hear her either, what is she saying!

She turns toward the house and I can see her at last. She is seems so little from where I see her.

"Who are you?" The whisper fogs the glass in front of me from the ice still in the air despite it still being early winter.

"May I meet the boy?" She speaks quietly but in a way that I can read the words from her lips.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Luna."

My fists tighten at my sides, who is the other to tell her what to do. I rush down the stairs and search through the records until I find just the right one, Claire de la Lune.


	2. Replacement

They did not like her but it didn't matter Luna knew they would follow through with their son's wishes.

She peered into Greta's eyes and saw the exasperation, this place had been her last chance to do things her way.

Thankfully that's why Luna was here in this particular English countryside, she'd been alerted by her friend Harry regarding Greta's plight and she offered her help.

A piano melody drifted through the air from the mansion in front of her, from the corner of her eye she did not fail to see the fear rush through the two older parent's eyes.

"It seems he agrees."

The parents stiffened up and peered at her. The father had a hard look in his eyes as if searching for some nefarious plan. While the mother looked upon her in resentment but also the smallest amount of relief.

"Please follow us."

"Of course." Pink lips smiled lightly and crystalline eyes peered back at Greta, "Everything will work out, I'll make sure it does."

The brunette let out a heavy breath of air, "I don't want charity."

"Excellent! Then you will have no problem of accepting my offer. I already gave you my contact's number. I assure you, he will not be able to find you."

She skipped away before Greta could answer, but slowed as she came before the main entrance.

"Oh the darkness you've had to face…"

The sweet, gentle melody still flowed from the building. Her lips quirked in a bittersweet smile remembering when she was little before her mother died the melody being hummed to her.

As she made her way into the building she ignored the anxious tapping of the woman's foot as ascended the stairs.

"It's good for him to learn patience, after all he is a very special child isn't he?" She posed the question as she passed by the two parents.

The living room was tidy but felt oddly unlived in.

"This is…"

The mother stopped as Luna spoke first, "It is a honour to finally meet you, Brahms. " She sat across from the chair where Brahms sat leaning forward ever so slightly, "Might I be a replacement for Greta? I know lots of fun games, and have experience in teaching. I think we could become grande friends."

"He hasn't had enough time with Greta to decide."

"I understand." Luna nodded towards the parents. "I'm afraid though that Greta has been called away. She was so determined to fulfill her obligation here though. I thought perhaps I could offer myself as her replacement. I've found myself with quite a lot of time for I'm between jobs at the moment."

She smiled and blew a piece of her starlight colored hair from in front of her face, "Excuse me."

"How could you ask such a thing? We do not even know you." The mother frowned and her face tightened to the point that it started to look like a prune.

"I have a list of past references with me."

This time it was the father who spoke, "We'd read Greta's letters to Brahms, I believe his heart might already be set on her."

"Of course I know ultimately its his decision." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small stack of pastel colored cards. "In the meantime, here are my references."

This time it was the father who frowned, "It would seem you were very much prepared. What was your employment before?"

"I am my own employer. I have written a series of books on natural anomalies that has given me a nice income of royalties."

"Hmm… darling perhaps we could speak to Brahms about this development."

"Of course. Please make yourself home in our other parlor across the way."


	3. I Want Them Both

I had wanted Greta, but the other girl was interesting. She saw me. Greta didn't seem to believe, but the other did.

Still Greta had come all this way and she was different too.

"Brahms, what do you wish?"

I answered back in the high pitched voice Mother is less afraid of, "Both. I want to try both."

"I don't think that will work out, we have to go on our trip and we can't leave not knowing who will take care of you."

I didn't say anymore causing my mother to sigh sadly.

"What should we do, Daddy?"

"Let's see what we can do, the girl does seem to have plenty of ideas."

They opened the door and walked across to the billiard room where now both the possible nannies sat in opposite chairs. I went through my secret passageways to peer at them from the mirror.

The Luna girl smiled in the direction of the mirror and then smiled at Mother.

"Brahms has made his decision. He would like you both to be his nanny, at least until he knows which one he prefers."

Greta's face wrinkled into a frown, "Uh huh, and how will that work out?"

"It will work I'm sure of it, Greta." Luna smiled and tilted her head then with a look of almost childish wonder looked over at my parents, "I know just the thing to make it all work out perfectly."

Greta sighed.

I was getting tired of everyone sighing.

"I wouldn't wish you two to go out in the storm, that would be an awful start to your vacation." The pale girls face had saddened as she peered at up at Mummy and Daddy. Her smile flitted across her lips though, she wasn't faking it. It was still a real smile.

"After all, Greta, my contact will need to be appraised of your arrival and arrange an agreed-upon meeting place."

Greta looked down upon her hands, "It's the least I could do after you both paid for my airfare here."

Luna clapped her hands, "Then it's decided we shall all stay here until the storm has passed."

There was no storm outside though, when they arrived the sky was clear, that's how I was able to see Luna sparkling in the sunlight so clearly.

But this would mean Mummy and Daddy would stay, at least a little bit longer.

"If you would both permit me I'd be happy to serve you both breakfast in bed, come morning. I can also make sure neither of you are disturbed so that you may begin your vacation even if you haven't left." She walked over to the window, "I can create a scenic place for you in any room you like, as romantic as you would like. Then Greta can take a Brahm's for the first couple of days and I will make sure that you two are not bothered with anything."

I couldn't believe it Mummy actually blushed and Daddy actually started stuttering. Already the Luna girl had created surprises and she hadn't even suggested changing his schedule. Oh! His schedule.

I walked around the room and went beneath where Mummy and Daddy stood whispering the reminder.

"Well...hmm…" My father kept clearing his throat and I couldn't stop the high pitched giggle that emitted from my mouth. I held my breath afterwards though waiting to see what would unfold.

"I'm glad you agree with me Brahms." She spoke in the direction of where I was now and where mother stood with me in her arms. "Your parents deserve some time to themselves. Anything you need, let me know. So your parents can relax the next couple of days."

I didn't like the idea of her changing things but at the same time I was far too curious to put up a fuss.

Father cleared his throat again, "Brahm's has a very strict schedule and it's important that you both heed it and the rules exactly to the letter." I could hear the rustling as father took the papers from the foyer table and handed them to the nannies.

[Brahm's schedule]

7a -8a Wake up Dress Brahms

8a -9a Breakfast

9a-10a Physical Exercise

10a-11a Chores

11a-12p Play Hour

12p-1p Lunch

1p-4p School

1pm --Reading

2pm --Musical Appreciation

3pm --Language

4pm --History

5p-6p Clean Out the Traps

7p-8p Dinner

9p Prayer Goodnight Kiss Brahms


	4. Mischievous Boy

"Brahms, what are you doing all alone?"

He had just finished adding a collection of dead spiders to Greta's drawers when he heard the voice of the daisy from downstairs.

Greta hadn't been obeying the rules or following the schedule.

His parents were happy, for the first time in a long time, the daisy had kept them occupied with what she called a "staycation". She said she'd heard Americans took them quite often.

She always seemed to appear though when he was about to do punish Greta.

This time he was going to go through with it. He left the spiders in the drawers and crept back into the walls to go see what the daisy was going to do with him.

"Let's see what's on your schedule?" She smiled down at the schedule, Greta never did that. "Play time, you are rather mischievous aren't you Brahms?" She hmmed beneath her breath a familiar tune and looked out the window, "It's still too stormy to play outside so I suppose we will do so from your room." She walked up the spiral staircase singing softly to herself.

The tension in his shoulders melted as he heard her soft lilting voice, she sang about magical creatures and fairy tales.

She smiled as she heard the creaking from the walls as she went up to his room.

"I'll be right back, Brahms, I'm going to go to my room and get a couple of toys I brought along just in case." She sat him in the middle of the floor and made some "Vroom" noises as she 'drove' several toy cars in front of him. "Why don't you pick your favorite toy while I'm gone and we can play with it first?"

She left the room and Brahms didn't move until he heard the soft click of her door down the hall. He looked around trying to find a toy that he could have fun with her, in the corner of his eye something gleamed his smile lifted his porcelain face up a couple of inches.

He was back into the wall just as she came through with a paint splattered apron around her waist, a canvas in her hands, a woven bag over her shoulder and several paint brushes sticking out from her bun on top of her head.

"Why Brahms! It's as if you read my mind."

The boy sat upon a stool in the corner in front of an easel with a canvas already upon it.

"We won't want you to get dirty." Luna lifted her bag and smiled, "I have just the thing."

From the bag she pulled a little apron in baby blue that was just his small boy size. "I shall not have your mother upset with me because we made a mess." She threw down a patch worked painting sheet across the floor. "Thank you Brahms for cleaning up your toys. It makes this much easier."

Brahms shifted behind the wall he blushed from the praise. His eyes widened as she proceeded to pull an easel, another 2 canvases, more paintbrushes, some paints and a water jug and cup from the purse. How was it big enough to store so much?

It was Greta that found them covered in paint, well Luna covered in paint. Brahms was immaculately clean, however his painting was coming along quite well.

"So you are now painting for the doll as well, don't you think that's creepy?"

Luna stared up at the woman from the ground, before getting up to look at the painting before Brahms. It looked like a view from above. A silhouette of a figure in the center seen but not fully fleshed out yet.

"Oh Brahms your painting is coming along quite well!"

"When do you stop?"

Luna looked over at Greta whose hands were on her hips and looking at her with a look Luna had remembered from school.

"Whatever do you mean?"

"You don't have to pretend with me. It's just a doll."

Greta jumped as what sounded like a growl came from the house.

"You should be careful what you say, he has feelings you know."

"You are crazy."

"So I've been told." Luna didn't even blink, her head only tilted to the side a small curl falling against her shoulder that had fallen from her bun. "The storm is starting to blow away, you'll be able to leave soon. I got a call from my contact he's expecting you no later than the end of the week." She bent down to her woven miracle bag, her arm almost disappearing within it, "Here's his information. He should be able to make sure you are safe."

"Why do you care?"

"You are Harry's family, which means you are my family too."

Two golden ivory curls now framed her paint smudged face.

"Thank you." Greta gulped and started to back out of the room. "I'll make sure I'm packed to go then."

It wasn't too much later until a screech came from Greta's room. "Why did it have to be spiders?!"

Luna peered out into the hall before glancing back at Brahm's whose head was tilted toward the door as well.

"Oh Brahms, you mischievous little boy, what did you do?"


	5. Good-byes

"We must be going, I expect you to treat Brahms like he was your own."

"Of course Mrs Heelshire."

Out of the corner of Luna's eye, she watched as Greta put her bags into the trunk of the car before striding towards them.

Luna held Brahms in her arms subconsciously rubbing his back.

"We really must get going, Mummy."

Mr. Heelshire had already taken his bags to their chauffeur's car.

"Please be careful on the road, wrackspurts are often known to cause accidents."

Mr. Heelshire barely twitched an eyebrow, after a week around the girl he had gotten quite used to her odd phrases. He nodded toward her before heading down to the car.

Mrs. Heelshire held Luna at arms length, "I'm so happy everything worked out my dear."

"Come Mummy! It's time to go."

"Coming Daddy!" Mrs Heelshire waved at her husband before leaning in and giving Luna a hug, "Thank you. I'm sorry."

Luna tilted her head and kissed the woman on the cheek, "I'm happy with him. Please be safe."

With one last look into the young woman's eyes Brahms mother and father left their home not even looking back.

Greta who stood by gazed after them, "That was odd."

"I'm scared, Greta."

Greta looked at the girl in shock.

"I'm worried for them, something in their eyes…" She shivered. "I hope I'm wrong."

Greta looked at the girl and up at the house surrounding the petite figure in the doorway, "Are you sure you are going to be ok here alone?"

"Oh Greta, I won't be alone. I'll have Brahms."

It was Greta's turn to have a shiver run down her spine. The sincerity in Luna's statement seemed to echo in her head.

"Yes, well. Thank you for everything, Luna." In the end, Greta knew Luna would be Luna. It was something she had come to terms with early on in their odd relationship.

"Good-bye Greta, stay safe."

With one more nod Greta was down the stairs and driving away.

"Well it's just you and I now Brahms."


	6. Brahm's Voice

Brahms had never had fun with his other nannies, at least not in the same way he did with Luna.

She followed the rules and his schedule, but she made it exciting.

Each new day she had a little surprise waiting for him; whether it was pancakes with a face made with whipped cream and fresh fruit, to a new toy or lesson that was fascinating. She kept him challenged. She would ask questions and ask for written responses, essays and diagrams for statistics.

She kept him engaged and busy.

Brahms couldn't remember a time before that he wasn't bored and instead engaged throughout the day.

As the days went by he got to know her as well and as he did little things about her made him more curious.

How she would suddenly appear nearby whenever one of his tantrums started up.

How she always seemed to know exactly what he needed.

How she always spoke in the direction of where he actually sat.

He was captivated but he also grew anxious with each day for he believed she knew the secret of the other Brahms.

One day his worries came to a head.

She was humming in the kitchen, dancing a little diddie as she made pumpkin pastries.

She stopped in the middle of her song and tilted her head in his direction, like she always did when she knew he was nearby.

"Brahms, what are you worried about?"

He couldn't help the gasp that separated from his lips.

_How did she always know?_ He thundered through the walls knocking items off the walls causing dishes to crash around his nanny.

"I'm sorry Brahms I didn't mean to frustrate you." She whispered into the air, her head down looking at the plates before looking up at the wall. "I know you will tell me when you are ready."

"Why do you do that??" His child-like voice came from the wall. She was smiling that sad smile again and it made his stomach feel like it was in knots.

He whispered hoarsely, "How do you know?"

Luna looked at the wall as if she could see through it to his masked face, "I can feel things others cannot and see things others cannot. I've been like this since I was little." She took a dustpan and started to sweep up the pieces, "I'm sorry if I scared you…"

"I'm not scared." The voice deepened ever so slightly.

She nodded as if expecting that answer and instead asked him, "What do you want Brahms?"

The question made his eyes widen, what did he want? No one had truly asked the question without already trying to control the answer, but she asked it with no strings attached. He could hear the sincerity in her softly tilting tones.

She didn't get an answer and so she sighed knowing it wasn't yet time to help Brahms into the light.

\--

They were doing playtime when he answered her question.

"I want a friend." He sighed, "A real friend."

Luna hummed in return turning back to her painting.

"I would like to be your friend, Brahms."

She smiled this time at the doll Brahms, her little pale brows slightly furrowed once more.

"I'd like to be your best friend if you wish it."

No childlike voice answered. No sounds came from the walls. All was silent.

"I understand though that you don't trust me yet. Friendship starts with respect and trust."

Her silken blonde waves fell to the side of her shoulder as she turned once more toward the wall.

"You can ask me any question, any at all and I will answer it truthfully."

As she turned back to her painting she noticed a slip of paper on the floor by her chair, upon it it said:

_Soon._


	7. Secrets

Brahms woke up in a panic, "Luna!"

He had to see her.

He had overslept and he never overslept.

She wasn't in the playroom and neither was he. Each room came up naught. His heart start to thunder, where was she and little Brahms. He came from the walls his fists tightening beside as he peered at the study before seeing her journal wide open on top of the school books.

"Today I shall take Brahms to the reaches of the property to search for new fauna. I saw some ground elder, dandelion and borage when I first arrived."

Brahms let out a shaky breath, she hadn't left him. She should have told him though, he looked down at the journal and let out a sigh. Perhaps she did.

Merry laughter caused him to step once more behind the panelled hidden door in the study. Luna arrived soon after with little Braham's on her back in a handmade carrier.

"Wasn't that a marvelous little trip, Brahms!"

She held apron up in a bundle keeping her found treasures same from falling out.

"You are quite fortunate to live on such a healthy land. Next time we are out we shall look for fairy rings. I'm sure we would find some hidden in a glen perhaps."

Brahm's gazed at his blonde haired fairy. Her long locks curling down her back coming to view as she slid the carrier with little Brahms carefully off, her apron bunched together in one hand.

She set Brahms down in the study's recliner gently kissing him on the forehead, the Brahms behind the wall had a shot of fluttering mingled with a narrowing as eyes. He was jealous of himself. His self that had those blush rose lips pressed against his forehead.

"I will be right back Brahms I must clean our findings and start hanging them dry."

As she left the room, Brahms stepped into the room once more bending down low in front of little Brahms his fingers brushing his forehead. It was still warm from her lips. As he slipped back behind the wall. He hurried down to his bedroom and jumped on his bed, lifting his mask to press his fingers to his lips. A sigh came from him and his heartbeat quickened as he laid back and slipped into a small restful sleep.

\--

Brahms woke once more to Luna's bell-like laughter. Curious he stepped into the passageway connected to his rooms and made his way towards her laughter.

"Rolf! You are silly."

For the second time that day Brahms heart pounded in his chest and his fists tightened at his sides. Who was this Rolf?

He peered through the vent across the hallway from the home's only telephone. Luna sat in the chair beside it, her journal in her hands.

"Did you call to tell me jokes or tell me about your recent discoveries?"

She sighed and turned a page in her journal as she nodded her head as the man on the phone laughed, Brahms teeth grinded together as he could hear the laughter as well.

After several minutes of her listening and writing notes in her journal, the man seemed to ask her question that made her furrowed her eyebrows ever the smallest bit.

"No I shan't be going on an exploration trip...I will of course send in my articles to the Quibbler, but I find I'm liking my current situation...Well my charge is quite unique and I can't leave him."

At this point Brahm's could hear distinctly the man's voice on the other end, "Oh, should I be jealous?"

Luna's pale features blossomed with rosy cheeks, "Rolf, we've talked about this. I currently have different goals than you, you will always be a friend however…"

"I hear you loud and clear. Just keep me in mind if you are ever ready to accept a beaus request for your hand."

Brahms didn't even keep his growl within, it vibrated loudly into the hallway. Luna looked up, mouthing 'Brahms'.

"I think it's time for me to say good-bye Rolf...yes I will take care. Good-bye."

As soon as the phone was set down, Brahms voice echoed around her, "Who was he?"

Despite the demanding tones, Luna's wistful smile came to her face. The one she only seemed to smile when Brahms was nearby.

"An old friend. We used to travel together when I was a teen. His and my father are the dearest of friends. He is like a brother to me but I'm afraid he doesn't see me the same. That is how friendships tend to go though either they are family or they are something else. We lost touch during the war…" She bit her lip as if she said something incorrectly but shook her head. "We have both changed since our youth. He contacted me after reading one of my books, to catch up I suppose."

He relaxed his muscles a bit, "I don't like you talking to him. You are mine."

"Do you mean I'm your friend, Brahms?"

He paused, he knew that's not what he meant but something in her smile beckoned him to reply, "Yes."

"I'm so very happy that you've decided that's what I am to you."

He shuffled behind the door.

"I'd like to ask you more questions."

"Of course, whatever you like."

"Do you love me?"

Her trademark smile tipped across those lips that had kissed his other's forehead, "I believe I am starting to love you quite a bit."

"Will you ever leave me?"

She looked down in her lap and closed her book, "That would depend on several things Brahms. I believe we are still getting to know each other. I care for you greatly already, but we both hold secrets the other doesn't know yet. Until those little things are spoken, then I won't be able to decide such things yet."

"What secrets have you kept from me Luna?"

"Ones I can't reveal until I solve the mystery of you Brahms."

"You'll truly be mine if you solve it." His voice deepened, while Luna just kept smiling.

"Perhaps, but then I don't think either of us will wish to part from each other."


	8. Comfort

Luna had not slept well last night. Braham's watched as she went about her daily restitutions with a listlessness that worried him.

He had come to her late last night when he heard her scream, she had fitful sleep caused by a nightmare that had caused her to toss and turn and whimper in her sleep.

Braham's had hesitantly entered her bedroom, not knowing what to do. When he'd had nightmares his parents had merely turned up the record player to drown him out, or tell the past nannies that the howls were the old house creaking sorrowfully from bad winds.

He didn't know how to comfort her, because his mother stopped comforting him after the fire. Not even a caress upon his head as he whimpered from the pain, he suffered alone; that's how it always had been since then.

But now someone he'd come to care for was in pain and he didn't know what to do.

"Luna…" he whispered, scared she'd awaken to see him hovering. Scared she'd scream even louder in terror when she viewed him above her.

She only whimpered in response though, "Don't do it. Please Papa...it's not worth it...please...I'm not worth it."

It was in the following moments when Brahms remembered she'd been in a war. It was odd because she was still so relatively young, only in her early twenties at the most. He hadn't read any newspapers that spoke of a war in Britain, when he had snuck in his father's office in the past.

"Luna, you are safe."

Was she safe though? With him, he was a monster. He'd long known even before he'd heard his mother's whispers to his father about how monstrous he'd become. How she only wished to have her little boy back, why couldn't the doll Brahms be the real Brahms?

He tightened his fists at his sides and squinted his eyes shut, his breathing growing hagrid.

"Go without me. Run!"

Brahms jumped back into the shadows when Luna jolted up from her bed her breaths coming out labored and tears streamed down from her face. He felt his breath catch in his throat.

She was beautiful. The moonlight coming in through her window seemed to crystallize the tears upon her pale cheeks and she seemed to glow in the darkened room. She was memorizing. A shiver ran down his spine, and he grew uncomfortable.

"Brahms? Is that you?"

Her eyes were still blurry with tears, Brahms knew he could come forth but he couldn't. Not now when her beauty stirred something deep within him, something monstrous. He slipped further in the shadows until he came upon his trapdoor and left her sitting up in her bed seeming so lost by herself.

The sun had risen and Luna ran through Brahms schedule with a melancholy on the edges of her little smiles.

No matter what had happened last night, Brahms could no longer bare this Luna. This Luna who seemed unable to smile even though the day was bright right outside her door.

"What can I do?"

Luna blinked up from the book she had been reading aloud to the little Brahms.

"Brahms?"

"You are sad. What can I do?"

Luna set the book down upon her lap.

"Sometimes people are sad. Sadness is not a bad emotion. It's just one of the many emotions a person can feel, sometimes they have to feel so that they can heal from things."

There was silence for a bit, only the creaks and groans of the old house seemed to fill up the emptiness for awhile. Luna started to pick up the book again, but his voice stopped her again this time it had left the childlike voice it had started with at first.

"What would a friend do?"

"For a friend that is sad?"

"Yes."

"Comfort can come in many different ways but the one I find always helps at least a little bit is a hug."

A brief silence.

"You can hug me."

Luna tilted her lips attempting a smile but failed. She looked down at little Brahms, brushing some of the hair from his face.

"Any other day I could hug this Brahms and maybe it would help but not today."

Shuffling could be heard behind the wall, and Luna looked up surprised as it slid open to reveal a hidden space behind it. Just barely seen in the shadows, was the shadowed figure of a man.

"I'll hug you."

Luna stood and raised her hand out to the figure, offering it so that he could grab a hold of it.

"Will you then?"

A foot clad in old dress shoes scooted into the light and slowly through the hidden doorway the silhouette took shape into that of a man over six feet with broad shoulders and a masked face.

"Hello Brahms, we meet at last."

A hand reached tentatively out and grasped onto hers pulling her body toward his slightly too roughly but Luna did not falter as the man pulled her tightly against his form.

"Hello, my Luna."


	9. Protection

She clung to him tightly and he held her to him, bending down low in order to nuzzle the top of her head with his masked face.

Luna buried her head deeper into his chest, her arms around him and holding onto his back shaking as sobs ran through her. She hadn't cried for the war or the death of her friends or for the betrayal of her father. So she clung onto Brahams tightly finally letting the years of pain seep through her pores and allow the crying to finally come forth.

As she cried Brahms slowly loosened his tense muscles, as he realized she wasn't afraid of him. She'd never been afraid of him, he realised. He knew then that the letter his parents wrote him would only sadden her more, for she cared for him. A shiver ran down his spine, and Luna lifted her head sniffling as her tears ran down her face.

"Are you cold?"

Brahms tilted his porcelain face down at her.

"Come sit with me on the couch, we can share a blanket."

She ran her small hand down Brahms arm until she reached his hand, and pulled him towards the settee in front of the sitting room's fireplace.

He was about to sit down as she instructed when he heard the telltale sounds that told him that a car was coming up the drive. He moved away from Luna and started for the hole in the wall.

"Wait!"

Brahms peered at Luna as she leapt toward him, "Promise me you'll come back out here, when they leave. Please."

He nodded, his hand rose hesitantly just stopping a hair's breadth away from her cheek. Another shiver ran down his whole body as he gazed into her cerulean eyes before stepping once more into the wall closing it behind him.

xlxbxlxbxlxbxlxbxlxbxlxbxlxbxlxbxlxbxlxbxlxbxlxbxlxbxlxbxlxbxlxbxlxbxlxbxlxbxlxbxlxbxlxbxlxbxlx

The front door opened and the grocer walked through the doors, his head popping into the sitting room to see the young woman wiping her face of tears.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. You must be Malcom. I haven't actually met you, previously Greta was the one that spoke to you regarding the groceries."

"That's right. Where did she go off to, leaving you all alone in this big house?"

"She ended up having other engagements so I took her place."

Luna stepped through the doorway past Malcolm and headed for the kitchen. "Here I help put away the groceries."

The sooner the groceries were put away the sooner Luna would be able to get back to Brahms.

"So how has Brahms been treating you?" The grocer grinned jokingly his smile only faltering slightly as Luna looked up at him with a straight face.

"He's been very kind."

"Ok…" Malcom looked curiously at the young woman as she put away the groceries a sort of quiet grace with all her movements.

Soon they had finished up and Malcom was heading to the door when Luna stopped him, "One moment please." She ran up the stairs to her bedroom where she had printed out fliers from the Heelshire's study. She rushed back down the stairs before handing the print outs to Malcolm.

"This is a warning print out for the local people and the police station. He was an old acquaintance of Greta that turned obsessive and violent. He may come here looking for her. I thought it would be a good idea for the town to keep an eye out for him and the police informed. I will protect Brahms and the house with any legal means necessary but I worry we might still be in danger."

Malcom's eyes widened, "Greta didn't mention it but I suppose I understand why. I have a friend at the police station, I'm sure he would be willing to send a police officer your way if the man is sited."

"Thank you Malcom that would be most appreciated."

Luna waved at Malcolm as he left and let out a sigh. Resting her back against the closed door, her eyes closed.

"Is it true about the man?"

Luna nodded her eyes still closed, "What I didn't say was that Greta was on the run away from him."

"I'll protect you."

Light lashes fluttered open and her eyes looked up at the tall man before her.

"Thank you Brahms. I trust that you will. However I do have a couple of tricks up my sleeves as well. If he bothers to come here, he'll get the haunted house everyone in town thinks this place to be."

Brahms eyes widened at the expression of Luna's face that could only be described as wicked delight.


	10. Heelshire's Haunted Mansion

Luna was prepared when Cole came to the Heelshire house only several days later.

The house had been quite accommodating, it seemed it wished to protect Brahms as much as she did.

She had recognized the feel of family magic as soon as they had come through the gates that first day. Through her inconspicuous investigation she found that the Heelshire property had ancient magic protecting it. She felt the compulsion to leave the first time she had arrived, it was as if something was trying to push her away. As she lived in the house that following week, it seemed to lessen its compulsions. She had no doubt though that Greta had felt them strongly, especially since she needed very little convincing to take up Luna's other option for her.

So that's how she found out that there was sentient magic on the property, protecting the land and its true inhabitants.

Luna had initially thought that perhaps the doll was part of it, that it had some of the magic. Although she had felt the other presence, she also thought perhaps the doll still had something. However, she found out quickly that it was merely a tool. The house would change, and the doll only moved when the real Brahms actually moved it.

As the days passed she had felt the ancient family magic tugging at her own, insistent to meld to make her part of it. It could sense she had no ill will, and that she cared for Brahms. It began to show her bits of itself that had no doubt stayed hidden from the Heelshires eyes, secret runes etched into moldings and secret rooms filled to the brim with anything a wizard could need.

Luna wondered if perhaps Brahms had magic, however it would need to be strong family magic to hide it from the spells that could detect underage magic in Britain. Even if the public thought Heelshire's son had died when he was eight, the wizarding world and especially the Hogwarts registry would no doubt be aware of another magic user. She'd yet to find a grimoire of the family, however she suspected that the house would show her the way only if she accepted the family magic. She would be irrevocably tied to Brahm's then. It would be as if she had become his sister or his betrothed. She couldn't allow that until she knew for sure that was something he'd want.

Luna wrote in her personal journal (spelled for only eyes) that she knew Brahms had already claimed her, but she could see that it was part of him to cling to anything good; anything that he could claim as his. She wanted him to understand the true meaning of them being bound, though.

It was with this knowledge that she communicated her plan to the family magic and sentient home. Mission: Keep Brahms safe.

Cole was all grizzle and as big as a bear, he dwarfed the door frame as he peered down at the petite blonde that answered the door.

She peered at him with perceptive eyes, that unnerved him, it felt like she could see into his very thoughts.

"Cole? Greta is not here. You have made the trip for nothing."

"Yeah sure." He pushed past the blonde, only for her to move away and watch his back as he went into the dark home. "Greta get out here! It's time you come back to me!"

Only an empty silence followed. The darkness seemed to creep towards him surrounding him. He glanced back at the door only to see it closed and the girl gone. He squinted into the dark house barely making out the lines of furniture in the entryway. The light from outside blocked from coming inside.

"She's not here, Cole. You should leave."

The voice came up behind him, a breath tickling against his ear. He spun around and went to grab the girl but no one was there.

"Where are you? I don't wanna have to hurt you little girl!"

A sound that he could only describe as a high pitched cackle that sent shivers down his spine was the only thing that answered him.

"You should have known not to tread where no one wishes to go. Here in the haunted hallways of the Heelshire manor. You never know what might happen."

A flash of light blinded Cole making him tumble back, and a deep rumble seemed to thrum through the whole house. He grabbed onto the nearest thing he could find, which happened to be a vase, and held it aloft with his head ready to attack whatever was coming.

"I'm warning you…"

His eyes squinted in the dark only to be blinded once more and out in the blur he saw movement. In the flashes that followed it looked like a man, another flash of light, a man in a mask.

"You freak!" Cole threw the vase toward the blur, his blurry eyes unable to see if it hit the mark; his feet were swept from underneath him as the whole house shook from underneath him.

"You should have run when you had the chance."

The voice cackled once more and as his eyes cleared he gasped aloud as he saw a woman dripping blood on him from above her mouth ajar at an odd angle.

Her hands reached out to him, as he scrambled away his eyes wide in terror.

"I've seen your thoughts Cole. I've seen what you've done. I will find you wherever you go, you can't hide from retribution."

A long scythe appeared in her hands and she raised it above her head and brought it down. He screamed and scrambled out of the way. Running in the direction he thought the front door was.

"You'll never be able to hide from me, I'll always be there watching. Waiting for the right moment to…"

He let out another undignified yell as he found the front door's handle but it wouldn't open. It wouldn't open and the woman was coming towards him, closer and closer she came in one hand the scythe and in the other darkness grasped in her hand.

"The void is coming for you, Cole."

The door twisted and he threw it open and fell down the steps of the house and soon he was gone.

lgxbhxlgxbhxlgxbhxlgxbhxlgxbhxlgxbhxlgxbhxlgxbhxlgxbhxlgxbhxlgxbhxlgxbhxlgxbhx

The very next morning he was back but this time with a police officer, that looked like he wished to be anywhere but out in the country.

"Good morning officer." Luna opened the door, "You've had quite an early start to your day. Would you like some coffee or tea?"

The officer gave her a grateful smile, "Yes that would be lovely, Miss Lovegood."

Luna smiled, "Luna is fine, Officer... Bradford." She had looked at his tag, "Are you Malcolm's friend?"

He nodded but then grimaced as Cole marched in past them.

"No, no this is all wrong. There was blood everywhere."

"I'm sorry about this Miss, but he reported seeing a body of some sort and we had to check it out."

"Of course you are merely doing your duty." She smiled as she offered him a fresh cup of tea.

Her eyes strayed to Cole who was wandering around shaking his head.

"Cole did come by the house yesterday."

"What time was that at?"

"Just past noon."

"What transpired once he arrived?"

She nodded her head, "I informed him Greta was not here. However, he was sure she was and so entered in without permission. I asked him to please leave. However he grew very angry and threatening." She tilted her head, her eyes glazing over and mouth turned down in a frown.

"There was a man here, with a mask on his face; I remember I threw a vase at him."

The officer raised his eyebrows to Luna, and she shrugged her shoulders.

"It was right here... " Cole turned only to see the vase sitting where he thought he'd grabbed it the day before. "No this is wrong. The room's all wrong. What did you do bitch?"

He lunged toward her only to be held back by the officer.

"Stand down man. There is no reason to get violent."

"Don't you see she set me up?"

"Cole, that's not very nice to say." Luna frowned at him, "You did leave angrily but we didn't have that large of a spat." She turned toward the officer, "Would you like to search the house? We have nothing to hide here."

"You freak! You do, there was someone here!"

The officer grimaced at Cole's volume and put a hand on his arm trying to steer him out of the house, "How about you drop this? You obviously had imbibed in too much yesterday and you saw things."

"I'm not crazy!" He elbowed the officer hard in the chest making the cop fall back against the wall clutching at his breast bone. Cole raged on towards Luna, his hand raised only to sink to his knees as he was tazed from behind.

"You were right to warn us of this chap, Miss Luna."

"Will you be alright officer?" She looked worriedly at his chest.

"I'm just a bit bruised. I'll drag this man off and file a report on the assault on an officer."

Once Officer Bradford had locked Cole in the back of his cruiser he came back up to say good-bye to Luna.

"I apologize for this inconvenience miss. Thank you for the tea." He nodded toward her.

Before he left she called out, "Should I expect you later for the search, officer?"

"No need, miss. Good day."

Luna let out a sigh of relief as she saw the officer leave the premises, and after closing the front door she slumped against it.

"Brahms, it will be alright now."

His fists were clenched at his sides and his jaw was tight, "How dare he try to hurt you? He should be punished."

Luna gently laid her hands on either side of his face and turned him towards her, "And he will but by the right authorities." She grinned suddenly, her smile lighting up her face, "It was absolutely brilliant though to see how scared we made him though. I doubt he'll be able to think of doing something foul without having flashes of the waif declaring she'd send him to the void."

Brahm's lips lifted slightly, before his brows furrowed; "How did you do it? I couldn't see everything but certain things didn't seem possible."

"Almost anything is possible with magic, Brahms."

His brows only furrowed further.

"Come it's time for breakfast and a long awaited conversation too."


	11. Magic is Real

After Luna and Brahms ate separately, they reconvened in the parlor. Luna sat beside Brahms, a hand out for him to hold.

After only a brief hesitation, Brahms took a hold of it. He blushed underneath his mask when she placed their hands in her lap, before she turned to face him.

"Have you ever experienced something that doesn't seem possible?"

Brahms stared down at their hands, a desire to take back his hand in fear overwhelmed him. Unknowingly his body trembled from beside her, Luna squeezed his hand and dipped her head down so that she could see his eyes again.

"I suppose I'll need to go about this another way." Luna hummed under her breath as she gazed up at the ceiling. She would need to give him something of herself first, before she could ask questions of him. "When I was three, I wandered away from the little garden behind my parent's home. I got lost in a forest behind it. Dusk descended and yet I wasn't frightened yet, so caught up in my own little world. It wasn't until I could no longer see in front of me that I began to get scared. I called out for my parents but they couldn't hear me. I wandered for a while until I grew so tired that I curled up at the base of a tree."

"Were you alright?" Brahms asked in a hushed voice, and relaxed a bit when he saw her smile gently at him.

She nodded, a blonde curl falling over her shoulder.

"When I began to lose hope I began to see these little balls of light floating high above me. I was convinced they were fairies." Luna smiled and shook her head, "Fairies wouldn't have been so kind to send me home without gaining something in return. I didn't know that at the time, so I thoughtlessly thanked them after they led me back to where I could see my family calling for me."

Luna glanced at Brahms wondering what he thought so far, only to find his cloudy blue green eyes gazing attentively upon her in rapt attention.

"You see what many don't know is that magic always comes at a price. The price for them leading me home was them taking something from me in return and that just happened to be my baby bunny I had just been given. I believe it was eaten by them but I'm not positive." Luna's lips turned down slightly, "I remember crying endlessly about it the next day when all that was found in my bunny's habitat was a puddle of its blood and some crude words left from some overzealous fairies."

Luna pursed her lips and gazed down at Brahms hand in hers, "I grew up knowing about magic. My belief was that since my parents were magic, I was magic. Simple tasks that others in non-magical households would do were done by spells and charms." Looking back into Brahms' eyes, she continued. "However, not everyone that has magic parents has magic and some are born having it who have parents that don't. There were those however that believed that magic was something to be coveted and something that only few deserved. They believed that those born from non-magical parents were undeserving of what nature had given them. This caused much strife and soon it brought about two wars. I fought in the last one."

Brahms saw something raw within her eyes, and he could almost see the horrors she had seen.

"War is ugly." Luna sighed. "It makes all who fight in it ugly. Even if you fight for the freedom of others, the blood of those you've killed lays heavily upon your hands."

There was a sinking feeling in Brahms stomach as he realized what Luna was saying.

"I've killed, Brahms." Luna let out a sigh, "The war ended and many had to rebuild their lives once more. So many were lost, so many good people. Good though is relative. Everyone who fought had blood on their hands."

Brahms looked upon his Luna and realized every word she had spoken was true. No matter how much he wished to not believe it. No matter how much he wished for her to be blameless, pure and unblemished; she had scars too.

"There were those who had fought originally on the other side, but came to the side I fought toward the end. They had the suffering of many upon their consciousness. However, they were rehabilitated. I still exchange letters occasionally with several, even those who had a hand once in my own suffering."

A burning anger started up within him, he wanted to find them. He wanted to kill them, but looking into Luna's eyes those feelings dissipated as he saw her kindness and her forgiveness. Perhaps she could forgive him for the blood on his hands.

"I killed someone." His voice was a whisper, "No I've killed a few."

He didn't want to look into her eyes again, afraid despite what she had just told him that he'd see her disappointed in him.

"I didn't mean to...the first one. I think it was an accident." Brahms voice tilted as it turned into his childish one for a short while, "I was eight and it was my birthday. There was a girl who would come over and play often. She didn't like to do anything I wanted to do. She always bossed me around. That day she wanted to play in the forest, she said she had a birthday present for me."

Brahms stopped. Luna tightened her hold on his hand.

"Go at your own pace Brahms. You don't need to tell me something if you aren't ready yet or don't want to."

"I have to tell you or else…" Brahms stopped his unspoken words ringing inside his head, or else she wouldn't know about the monster that sat beside her. The desire to protect and the desire to keep were fighting against each other inside.

"Brahms…"

He looked up to see Luna with a small smile.

"I'm not going anywhere. Take your time."

"She wanted to kiss me, but I didn't want to. I didn't like people, and I didn't like them touching me." Brahms shifted upon the sofa, "I ran away but she ran after me. I told her to stop following me but she didn't. I took a break. She came up behind me and…" He swallowed, "I...I didn't want her near me so I pushed her away, but she…" Brahms stood and hesitated, "She went too far, I pushed her too hard. She flew. She flew back and hit a tree really really hard." He let go of Luna's hand, "I wasn't that strong. She shouldn't have…"

This time he glanced back at Luna, falling back a step at her face. Her brows were furrowed and she looked sad and looked worried.

"Then what happened?"

"Mommy said it was all Daddy's fault. She said she should have never married him. She said she wished..." Brahms shuffled his feet before sighing, "They told me to wait in my old room, but they didn't come. There was a fire. They were sad after but said I had to hide. Said no one could find out I lived." He looked down to see Luna's hands in fists grasping onto her skirt tightly, she was trembling. Suddenly afraid he took several steps back until the trap door was right behind him.

Luna glanced up at Brahms and found him nearly cowering by the fireplace.

"Oh Brahms, I am not angry at you. I'm angry at them."

His hunched shoulders fell down slightly, "They were scared of me. They made little Brahms and I had nannies. They didn't know the truth. Anytime they got too close, I…" He turned away from the room. "They'd have accidents. Down the stairs. Locked in the basement to starve to death." He shrugged and started playing with a piece of wallpaper on the wall that had started to peel.

"I think sometimes it was the house protecting you Brahms."

Brahms turned towards Luna, eyes wide, "They would see me and fall. I locked the doors. I killed them."

"Did your parents know when you would lock the nannies away?"

Brahms nodded.

"But they didn't set them free?"

He nodded again.

"You are not completely at fault then Brahms. Your parents were supposed to protect you. You shouldn't have been…" Luna took a deep breath. "Do you feel bad for them dying?"

He shrugged, "I didn't like them. Then they died."

Luna tilted her head to the side.

"Do you wish that they didn't have to die? That they didn't ever come so they wouldn't have died?"

Brahms shrugged and stared back at the wall, "Sometimes."

"Death doesn't discriminate between those who have done good or bad. It simply takes, it is a factor of life." Luna sighed, "I do not agree with what was done but I wish I could have been here for you earlier. I wish you could have had someone who cared sooner."

Brahms moved his head slightly to the side, just barely making out her shadow from the corner of his mask. "You don't hate me?"

"No, I don't hate you Brahms."

Luna stood and walked slowly toward Brahms holding her hand out to him.

"Come, I'd like to show you something."


	12. Family Magic

"Do you feel it, Brahms?"

They stood in the hallway that lined with the grand staircase on the second floor.

Brahms's masked face tilted down and looked upon the nearly glowing lady at his side. Her eyes were closed and for the first time he noticed, she was barefoot.

"Your feet...Aren't they cold?"

A bittersweet smile came upon her lips and her eyes opened, "A bit." She shook her mane and her hair cascaded down her sides, "It's alright though with my feet bare I can feel the house's magic even more acutely."

Before he could stop himself, Brahms found himself doing something that he never would have done before; he took off his shoes and socks. His big toes wiggled side by side her little iridescent painted ones. Her musical giggle caused him to look up into her blue eyes and smile, the crinkle on the sides of her eyes made him know she knew he had.

Her small hand slipped into his while her other pressed against one side of the hallway, her head nodded his way and he followed suit.

"Now close your eyes, tell me when you feel it."

Brahms felt silly. Standing in the hallway, barefoot. His mother would have had a fit, but his mother wasn't there. She wouldn't ever be there again. Luna was here, Luna had stayed and so he closed his eyes.

At first, it was just cold. He could feel his toes almost going numb and clammy from the chilly wooden floors beneath his feet; but just as he was about to move them he felt a tingle that started from his toes and then traveled up his feet and his legs. He shivered as the tingle traveled through the rest of his limbs until it reached his ears and then there was this odd sort of static and then something familiar almost like a hum started to fill his mind.

He gasped and his eyes opened, he turned toward Luna, his eyes still wide.

"I felt it!"

Luna smiled.

"I've felt it before." Brahms looked down as memories flashed through his mind; every sad memory he had where there was no human comfort there would always be the hum as he went through the walls. On days when he was angry, the hum was angry with him; it raged on his behalf on days where he could not care anymore. "It's always been there, when no one else has."

Luna smiled up at him, "It's always been protecting, caring for you in its own way Brahms." She sighed, "Your parents broke their sacred vow to protect you, so they lost the protection of the house. I have a feeling ever since you've been old enough to take care of yourself its been trying to drive them away." She sighed, "Then the nannies never knew the real you so they didn't know how to actually take care of you well, the house not knowing that drove them away or got rid of them. It even tried to drive me away when I first came here."

At the stormy expression in Brahms eyes, Luna held her hands out to him which he held onto tightly as if afraid she'd be taken away.

"Don't worry, it likes me quite a bit now. It seemed to come to realize quite quickly that I had only positive intentions." Luna looked down at their joined hands, "Now that we've talked about how magic is real…." She smiled and took an inconspicuous looking butterfly clip from her hair, before holding it in her hand and smiling up at him. The clip glowed brightly before changing shape and elongating into a polished dark pine stick with an almost tulip like pattern at the bottom. "May I cast a warming charm? It's more exact when I use my wand I could do it wandlessly but I've been using a lot of magic wandlessly lately and it can exhaust me a bit."

Brahms nodded, slightly nervous but also in awe and as she raised the wand in the air he realized for the first time in his life he trusted someone. With a sigh he felt a wave of warmth go over him from his head to his toes.

"Better?" She smiled.

Brahms nodded.

Luna stepped forward, Brahms tensed slightly as he saw her face grow serious, "The family magic seeks to protect the heirs to the family magic. Now that you know about it, there's going to be a fair share of responsibilities."

Brahms tilted his masked head to the side, "What kind of things?"

Luna pursed her lips and looked at the ceiling, "Well...I'm not the right person to ask. The Lovegoods of the past, though, they have family magic, they never really stay in one place for very long. Our magic often imprints only on our soulbonds or familiars. I do however have a friend I could discreetly ask advice from, Neville is a sweetheart and…"

The responding growl that came from Brahms caused Luna to jump slightly before she gently laid a hand on his chest.

She tilted her head to the side, "Neville is married to a lovely healer by the name of Hannah."

Brahms' tension had started to lessen as she had laid her hand against his chest, his heart had begun to beat in staccato and he had grown distracted but as he heard the words "is married" the remainder of the tension left his body.

Luna smiled and pointed to his shoes and socks to the side of the hallway. "Why don't you put those back on, then join me downstairs in the library?"

Brahms nodded and watched as his moon floated down the stairs. The hum present in his mind almost seemed to encourage him with no words spoken.


	13. Going Forward & Asking For Help

Bright pink toes in fuzzy socks poked out over the arm of the lounge chair in the library.

A warmth permeated the room that felt as if it came from the hearth, but no fire was within it. A couple of finger sandwiches sat on the coffee table in front of the leather chesterfield.

"I made some finger sandwiches this morning just in case." Luna swung her fuzzy knee socked legs down and sat up. From her magic bag at her side she drew out two journals and two pens. She handed one set over to Brahms.

Brahms took them carefully. His calloused fingers caressing the almost leathery bindings. The parchment paper was thick but as he flicked through the pages he did not seem to reach an end. He raised up his eyes in surprise to find her smiling at him.

"The journal will never run out of room." Leaning forward slightly, Luna tucked her feet underneath her before leaning back into the chaise lounge. "Hannah and Neville will be working right now, so I'll give them a ring later this evening. For now, I was thinking we could talk a little bit about what you would like."

Brahm tilted his head, "What I'd like?"

"Yes, Brahms. What do you want from life going forward?"

Silence reigned and Brahms gazed at Luna in wonder.

Luna's smile became slightly strained, "All your life you have been given a set of rules and schedule. From the times I've spent with you I think you do thrive with structure, but…" Luna paused and took a deep breath and tilted her head leaning forward, "You are no longer under your parents rule. You can start making your own decisions."

"My own decisions." Brahms looked down at the book in his hands. His whole life he'd been angry because he'd felt trapped. Trapped in the house. Trapped in his parents rules. Trapped in his own body. Luna was trying to set him free, but he wasn't sure if he could be.

Luna hummed underneath her breath, "Perhaps we can start simpler, what things do you need to live happily Brahms?"

He needs her. He wants her. He only needs her. He only wants her. Brahms couldn't say that though. He didn't want to scare his Luna.

"The journal will help. You can put your thoughts into it, I charmed it so that only your eyes can read it. I can't read it, only you."

Brahms looked up at her and realised that in her own way Luna was showing him she trusted him. Luna caught his look and gave him a smile in return.

"What would you like to do with the rest of today?"

She showed him moving photographs of her friends (the kind features of Neville and Hannah encouraged him), magical folk and beings of all kinds. She told him of the rich histories of the magical families of England and the history of the school she went to before and after the war. She shared stories of her adventures around the globe searching for strange and wonderful creatures of legend.

At the end of the day, Brahms could only stare at this moon in awe and realize how much he wanted and needed her.

llxbhxllxbhllxbhllxbhllxbhllxbhllxbhllxbhllxbhllxbhllxbhllxbhllxbhllxbhllxbhllxbhllxbhllxbhllxbhllxbh

Brahms and Luna sat on either side of the only phone in the Heelshire manor, phone between them hearing the rings go on for a couple of seconds.

"Longbottom Residence, Hannah speaking."

"You changed your greeting."

"Luna, it's so good to hear your voice again." Hannah's lilting tones came over the phone's little speakers making Luna smile over at Brahms.

"Your voice sounds like its become more melodious, will there be some news soon?"

Hannah's laughter came over the line, "I don't know how you do it, Luna. I just found out today. I scanned myself and it was positive and then went for a second opinion. Neville and I were just celebrating."

Luna's blue eyes met Brahm's inquiring gaze, she merely winked in turn.

"Oh should we call back later then?"

"Neville! Luna asks if she should call back." Hannah called and through the receiver Brahms and Luna could just barely make out Neville's reply, "Don't let her go!"

Hannah came back, "You heard him…" She paused at Luna's giggle, "...and don't think I didn't hear you say 'we' who else is with you?"

Luna lifted her gaze back up to Brahms a question in her eyes, he answered it with a nod.

"He's actually the reason I was calling. I was going to ask Neville for a couple of favors."

A couple sounds of footsteps and a sigh and the sound of a chair scraping against a stone floor followed before Neville's voice came over the receiver this time loud and clear, "I'm all ears."

"This must be kept under the strictest confidence, I trust the both of you not to tell any others unless absolutely necessary."

"Of course." The Longbottoms entoned.

"During my sabbatical from the Quibbler and my other journalistic pursuits, I came in contact with an old English family. They left me in charge of their home, along with their son. However, their son was not known to be alive by the general populace. As soon as I arrived at the property I found that there was very strong family magic. It was trying to reject me from the premises, it did not accept me until it saw I had pure intent toward the representative for the son."

"Representative?" Hannah spoke up, her mind-healer senses tingling.

"I will fill you in later, Hannah." Luna cleared her throat before looking up at Brahms for reassurance and he nodded that he was still ok. "Once I was left alone on the property, except for the son, I also found strong runic wards set up around the boundaries of the property. From the outside looking in, even someone with strong magical abilities would not be able to be able to tell that magic resided within."

"That's impossible." This time it was Neville who responded.

"That's what I thought as well. However, it made sense. For as I officially met the son and got to know him I realized it to be true. He was protected from the trace. The manor itself is sentient much like Hogwarts but not nearly as ancient, its sole purpose has been to protect those with magic in their veins in this family."

"Is the son with us now?" Hannah spoke up her voice gentle and kind, the voice of a new mother.

"Yes. His name is Brahms."

"Hello Brahms."

Luna smiled encouragingly at Brahms. She watched the emotions pass through his eyes; the fear, the uncertainty but then the hope.

"Hello, Hannah."

"Oh my!" One could almost hear the blush in Hannah's words. "You are much older than I had in my head. Regardless, nice to meet you Brahms."

"So, how can we help you and Brahms?" Neville spoke up once more.

"Brahms has just found out that magic is real and about the sentient magic of the house. As a Lovegood I don't have a lot of experience with family magic in this sense, I wanted your expertise. Once Brahms is ready I thought you could teach him about being the heir of a magical family as well. It wouldn't be safe for the two of you to come, especially with the little one on the way unless…"

Luna tapped her lip.

"Unless Brahms and I were somehow related. It is a possibility. I'll look into it, I can talk to the older house elves and my grandmother. Any family records you can get will be helpful, oh and what was his last name?"

"Heelshire."


End file.
